El Chapin restaurant &Grill

I tried this place twice. Both times I ordered directly from the Unilocal app and picked the food up.
I had an empanada and three tacos the first time. The empanada tasted a little dry, but it was edible. The tacos were okay, didn’t really care for the taco shells.
The second time I ordered I decided to play it safe and ordered some chicken wings and fries. The fries were bland and overcooked. My chicken wings were undercooked, the inside of a few of them was still raw. I am really hoping that I don’t get sick because I took quite a few bites before I noticed.
I would have rated this place one star, but decided on two because of their customer service. The cashier was very nice and friendly. As soon as I walked in I was greeted with a smile and the cashier asked me how my day was going. Nevertheless, I will not be returning. Thanks but no thanks.

Place is awesome and food is always great. Guacamole is delicious and their delivery is exceptional. I always order from grub hub…

How this place managed to screw up enchiladas is beyond me! The lengua is harder than rocks, and the horchata is nothing but watered down sugar milk. No cinnamon. No hint of rice, nothing. The kids liked the pupusas which is why I gave them 1 star.

Well today I was doing some business in the trenton area and came across this place as having great Guatemalan and Mexican food. I enjoy some down home latin food so had to make my way there.
When I arrived I was surprise by the small size of the eating area which has only 4 tables. It caused me to keep my eye on the one open table while figuring out what to have… it was either tacos or a plate… all looked really good and authentic.
I decided to go with the Bandeja Paisa which included rice with grilled beef which had to eggs over it which were slightly runny along with a strip of chicharrone (Fried pork belly), sausage, surrounded by beans and a refreshing salad with avacado.
I was starving but when the plate came I got intimidated by the quantity of food but everything was so tasty and went well together I think I only left a cucumber.
Overall everyone is overly friendly which is never a bad thing, the food comes out quickly and taste great! If your not intimidated by the surroundings and want authentic latin food make your way over there.

Their food is delicious. Their chicken dishes are great and their sides are full of flavor. I especially like their rice and beans and macaroni salad. The restaurant does not have many seating so there were times where I had to take the food to-​go. Nevertheless, their roast chicken dishes come out fast so it’s never a long wait. And their prices are very reasonable. I paid less than $ 15 for two people before.
Their service isn’t the greatest since some of the waitresses couldn’t speak english well. But did not have that much trouble ordering food.
Overall, this is one of my few favorite restaurants in Trenton. I would definitely recommend this place.

Got food from here yesterday it was 25 minutes away and I ordered to go. Food was pretty delicious, worth the drive. We had the rotisserie chicken, tacos and popusas. A very decent price and good portions. Can’t wait to go back.

GPS had a bit of trouble getting me here or maybe it was me. Glad I found this place! Came in for lunch and ordered 3 tacos al pastor to go. There are only 3 tables to eat in. I arrived home and devoured my tacos. They came with some lime, radishes and a nice green sauce. They were pretty good and filing. I would definitely return for more.

Okay food — I like their beef tacos, bistec ecebollado platter and flautas. Also, la agua de tamarindo/​la agua de mango are decent too. The biggest downside to this place is that they are so slow to deliver. I live in Trenton, maybe a 5 mins drive away from this place. It should not take over an hour to deliver two orders of tacos and some guac and this is the average delivery time no matter what you order. Not to mention they have a delivery charge! I’ve gotten so frustrated with this place that I have been on the verge of calling and demanding a refund because I’ve waited over an hour for a delivery AND IT WAS COLD. For this wait, I could have cooked something at home. Honestly, the food is mediocre but if you insist on going here, pick up the food — don’t have it delivered.

Best chips ever!
Make sure to order the Chicharonnes De Tocino.
Fresh made!
Takes a long time but… they deliver!

Found my way to El Chapin for lunch yesterday. It is located toward the bottom of Cass Street in Trenton, between the prison and Arm & Hammer Field. It is not really on Lamberton Street, although it is possible there was once a door on that side of the building.
«El Chapin,» is slang for a Guatemalan, so although the menu has a certain Mexican flair, this is a house that specializes in cuisine from its southern neighbor. And, it is very good. The lady of the house was taking orders and cooking when I went in. The menu is rather extensive and it took a while for me to decide what I wanted — everything was bilingually displayed with many photos. Mamita was patient and when I finally selected the Chile Relleno she smiled and said it was one of the best dishes in the house. I bet she says that for whatever people want.
But, she was right that it was special. About ten minutes later, out came a large green Poblano Chili Pepper stuffed with spicy shredded Pork, Peas, Onion, Cheese, and a few things I could not define, all wrapped in a thin Egg Omelet. Black Beans, Yellow Rice and a small Green Salad completed the platter. It was delicioso. Every element of the dish could be tasted and the combination was a full pleasure to devour. I also had a glass of Horchata, the Rice Milk and Cinnamon drink that is a national treasure. As friend Marlyn describes, it tastes like liquid rice pudding. When cold, I find it fun, tasty and thirst quenching.
As with almost all the Latin shops in Trenton, they were once Italian joints or corner bars that had seen the neighborhoods change and adapt to the influx of new residents. Unlike most, however, El Chapin has somehow removed the old rustiness of these places and made it feel fresh and energetic. It was very comfortable to sit in one of its booths and watch people coming and going.
While I have favored all the Mexican, Guatemalan, Salvadoran and Puerto Rican restaurants that I have sampled to date, I found El Chapin to be about the best of the lot.
Thanks for a great lunch, Mamita.

It is literally one block away fromthe baseball field, very easy tomiss. Looking over they menu they have all types of delicious plates from South America like a Colombian Bandeja Paisa to Mexican tacos.
Since it was already late, I ordered a plate of chicken flautas and was seduced into a cup of horchata. I am normally not an horchata drinker (it’s a milky drink made from corn that tastes like rice pudding, even writing that sounds kind of gross), but EVERYONE that came to pick up their order got one, sooooo I wanted one too! It came from a glass jar in the deli pantry and it was so delicious and sweet.
As for my flautas, they were perfectly crunchy, delcious and loaded with fresh salad and cheese. Everything was made fresh and right in front of me, not on purpose, more because it’s a small place, but either ways I liked it.
The reason I am deducting a star is not bc of the shady neighborhood or the lack of parking, it’s bc it took SOO long to make my order. I spent 25 minutes sitting there, and yes they did get a few people coming in to pick up, but it was just way to long for a simple orderof flautas. I definetely recommend calling ahead.
Although the food had good flavor, the place itself for me is mostly a take out joint. So come and check them out, and pick up a bottle of the good stuff across the street while you’re at it.

I love, love LOVE this place. People here are very friendly and the food is AMAZING. I usually get the cheese pupusas and get the chicken tacos for my boyfriend. The only thing I would like is more of the toppings for the pupusas. Even when I offer to pay extra I only seem to get the same amount. The orchata drink is also definitely worth a try! Delivery is always on point and the guy is always friendly.

Excellent food! We get delivery from here all the time and the food always arrives quickly and hot. Their juices are AMAZING –highly recommend you give it a try if you’ve never had Latin American «juice» before (it’s like a smoothie). Prices are very reasonable as well. Definitely recommend this place!

I was told this place has the best chicken around so I tried it over the weekend. Nothing stood out to me as great, except they sell 1 ½ liter Jarritos! I know soda is bad for you, but whatever, it’s Jarritos!

We ordered from here for the first time last night and will be ordering again and again! Between the 3 of us we had arroz con pollo, chicken burrito with fries (although next time I’m gonna see if they can do rice instead), cheese empanada, and a cheeseburger with fries. Everything was affordable and delicious! HUGE portions too. Reheated the next day beautifully.
I highly highly highly recommend this place and can’t wait to try more from their extensive menu.

This is my favorite Guatemalan restaurant in Trenton (and anywhere else for that matter)! Authentic food and the chicken is always grilled perfectly. Juicy and tender and flavorful. I love this place, I wish I could eat here everyday. Super friendly service as well. Give it a try :).

I have NEVER posted anything on Unilocal before but I signed up just to share my love of this place. I recently moved to Trenton from L.A. and after months and months of searching for decent Mexican spot I finally hit the jackpot! I’ve ordered from this place countless times and I think I’ve tried almost everything on this menu and I have yet to be disappointed. I recommend the burritos, tacos, the grilled chicken and rice, flautas, tostadas, empanadas… I can literally go on and on. Did I mention they deliver?! If your’re searching Unilocal right now looking for a good mexican restaurant in the Trenton area, stop right now and come here!

My brother introduced me to this place. I was a sceptic at first but, this place has some really good Central/​South American food. Their family meal is WELL priced, and it contains a shet-​ton of meat, as well as plenty of sides — you could feed a family of eight or nine.
Note: You can park at the liqour store arcoss the street.

def some of the best food in south trenton. I work nearby so I eat there 3 – 4 times a week… some of my favorites are the tostadas, spicy pork tacos, burritos, and the chicken platters

Very good «Latin fusion» food. Only get Latino food here though. Things like their burger are really bland and boring. I usually get the half chicken special. Ten dollars gets you half a charcoal-​roasted chicken, potato (or vegetable) salad, rice, and beans (pinto or black). Very filling and delicious. El Chapin also offers free deliver within a certain area.